WEEK 6 - Fixtures with (Updates) 1 - Winners, 2 - ECB T20 Updated Draw - 3 Echo Cup 4 - 3rd XI 5 - 2nd XI Round up

Date: 28th May 2021

Hoping for decent weather and a weekend full of cricket.

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This weekend's winners were :- Firwood Bootle, Formby, Leigh, Northern and on Monday, Wallasey who all win at home and Wigan on their travels. - Northern remain top 32 points ahead of Formby

In Division One (winning away) Rainford and (at home) Ainsdale, Birkenhead Park, Fleetwood Hesketh, Highfield and Newton le Willows. - Highfield ahead of Newton le Willows by 3 points

In Division Two - Southport Trinity and Wavertree at home and Caldy, Maghull and Spring View away.- Maghull top with Caldy 8 points behind

Last week saw the completion of the Preliminary Round of the ECB T20 Vitality Cup.

The revised draw is

Rainhill v Colwyn Bay

St Helens Town v Orrell RT

New Brighton v Wallasey

Firwood Bootle v Ainsdale

Caldy v Southport and Birkdale

Northern v Formby

Old Xaverians v Leigh

Newton le Willows v Ormskirk

LIVERPOOL ECHO INVITATIONAL KO CUP 2021

The Liverpool Competition regrets that it is not possible to run the Echo Cup this year.

After careful consideration it’s management committee felt that the sole focus should be on managing the League and its 11 divisions and Junior and Women’s and Girls Leagues safely through the current pandemic situation. Chairman John Williams said “ We understand that clubs will be disappointed as it is a popular competition. However we are fully committed to continuing next year. “

3^rd XI Round up Week 6

In the Saturday Premier league, Northern (GK) 90 points, lead the way with Ormskirk 84 and Wallasey 68 topping the table.

Wins this weekend for Liverpool, both Northern sides, Ormskirk and Sefton Park 3.

In Saturday 1^st Div, Birkenhead Park 3, Firwood Bootle, and Wavertree are the leading clubs in this division. There were wins for New Brighton 4, Caldy, Maghull and Birkenhead Park 3. South Liverpool / Birkenhead Park 4 and Wavertree / Firwood Bootle both ended in a draws.

The main highlight of the weekend was an innings of 129no by Armand Rabot for New Brighton 4 v Alder.

In the Sunday Premier League only 1 match took place and Southport & Birkdale beat Orrell Ted Triangle

Ian Sutcliffe again took the headlines, again with his bowling taking 6/31. Liverpool lead the way (on a points per game average basis), with Southport and Springview in pursuit

In the Div 1 North, No Matches were played this weekend so Formby. Orrell Red Triangle (4) and Fleetwood Hesketh still lead the way.

In Div 1 South, Only 1 match was played and Sefton Park (PS) beat New Brighton (Sun) XI. Oxton still lead the way from Sefton Park (PS) and Merseyside CommonwealtH CC

Week 6 – 29/30 May – Second XI Round up

The main game in the Premier Division featured the second placed side Liverpool hosting the team immediately below them in Formby. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, the team from Aigburth mustered 182 for seven with Bleakley 40 and Garikipati 46 as Simpson took three wickets. Five of the six Formby batsmen bettered 26 with Mills 40 the highest as Formby eased to victory and second place. The leaders Wallasey, also had to chase but they had restricted neighbours New Brighton to 111 with Andrew Beaver and Huston claiming four victims each. Andrew Ward's was unbeaten on 43 for Wallasey despite Evan's late four wicket haul.

The shortest game of the day was at Orrell where the home side skittled visitors Sefton Park on a “bowler friendly track” for just 20 with Gareth Houghton taking 5 for 8 and Taberner 4/7. The home side then lost three wickets in the short reply. Ormskirk passed 200 before declaring with Michael Gill scoring 95 against his former teammates with Hunt taking 4 for39. There was a bright start with McGee and Siddall helping to take the Firwood Bootle reply past three figures. Matthew Grant took a career best 6/30 to secure victory.

Northern's openers Biddlestone hit 68 and and unbeaten 62 from Browne made large inroads into the successful nine wicket win in the chase of Southport & Birkdale score of 148. Four batsmen scored 20s and Wood, Thompson and Vis shared their wickets. Lytham's Matthew Cartmell carried the fight almost single handedly to Newton le Willows with 93 but when he was ninth out, his side fell 13 runs short. Earlier, Hughes 48 and Bhalla 44 were the main contributors to Newton's score.

Standing -1 - Wallasey 111 pts, 2 - Formby 93, 3 – Orrell RT 89.

In Division One, leaders Wigan lost their derby against Leigh. Three of their players reached 30 and were out shortly afterwards as Graham took 4 for 30. Tom Grundy then his a patient 66 as he laid the backbone to winning chase. New leaders are Birkenhead Park who had five bowlers taking wickets as Rainford were dismissed for 134 despite Cosgrove's defiant 60. Earlier Jordan 38 and Stirrup 35 the main scorers for Park.

Northop Hall played twice over the weekend, drawing firstly with Colwyn Bay and then successfully chasing down Wavertree's score. Joshua Leach, with his first five wicket return (6 for 63), doing his best to curb Bay's batsmen, the first seven of which reaching double figures led by Coates 47. Withe 44 in reply. Leach then claimed a further three on Monday as Jack Allen 41 and Hodgson 39 did enough to secure the points. Donahue with 4/48. Wavertree fared no better on Saturday losing at Old Xaverians with Donahue again claiming 4 wickets. Formby with 40 for the victors.

Highfield claimed their first victory with a six wicket win over Spring View. Four wickets for Martinus as only Jukes (36) passed 20. Jump with an unbeaten 38 for the victors. The division's other game saw Ainsdale comfortably claim a draw against Rainhill despite McKeown with the day's top score of 69 and evergreen Morgan 50 for the home side. Causey another of the four wicket takers. Joel Barlow with 54 the main source of resistance.

Standings – 1- Birkenhead Park 86 pts, 2 – Northop Hall 81, 3 – Wigan 73.

Both the top two sides in Division Two kept up their winning ways, Jack Wallbank (83) hit his maiden fifty for Fleetwood Hesketh as his side recorded a 43 run victory over Norley Hall. Paul Mullen took 5 for 36 as Hatch scored 39. Southport Trinity bowlers were too strong for Alder as Jonny Firth with 4 / 19 helped dismiss the hosts cheaply in their forlorn quest to get close to Trinity's 175. Jones with 44 from the nine number nine slot putting the score out of reach. Sodhi with 4 for 41.

Sutton (St Helens) took the honours in a low scoring St Helens derby but it was thanks to Lewis Bolton's unbeaten 42 that they got over the line. Ben Scott with his best figures of 6 for 45 had restricted Town to 86 but Sutton lost 7 wickets in the chase. Prestatyn overcame a stubborn Parkfield Liscard side who batted for 53 overs in reaching 108. Lucas Sheridan hit his best score of 57 for the Welshmen. After William Clarke hit his best score of 60 and Leyland 43 for Hightown St Marys, Maghull batsmen chipped in with Walters the best with 41 and Brown 35 leading the way as they won by 3 wickets. Garside and Taibu Junior each took four wickets for their teams.

Standings 1 – Fleetwood Hesketh 103 pts, 2 – Southport Trinity 95, 3 – Sutton (St Helens) 66 (RD)